Once Upon a Time
by Requiess
Summary: Once Upon a Time, a far away land was filled with beauty and magic. Everything was prosperous until the Evil Queen put a curse on everyone in the kingdom. They were stripped of their memory and forced in to fake lives, forgetting all of those who loved them. They were doomed to be alone for eternity- until the curse was broken.
1. Chapter 1

Once Upon a Time, in a far away land, life was filled with magic and prosperity. In a land where magic was the most powerful force, is was apparent that true love was more powerful than them all. Love flowed through the land- sweeping through every last kingdom. For countless years, all kingdoms remained in harmony. The land was that of absolute peace and wealth.

Then, a day of mourning.

The passing of the queen- truly the fairest of them all. She had stood by her husband's side as he had ruled the most powerful kingdom, assisting the impoverished in improving even the poorest living conditions in all the land. A selfless woman, loyal wife, and extraordinary mother. Her death had left the kingdom solely in the hands of the great king. A vulnerable, grieving, widower.

The days of mourning were intense, though they were few. Within weeks, news of an engagement surfaced throughout the kingdom. Even more, a royal engagement. The beloved king had found a new bride. The new apple of his eye, one-shined only by his adored daughter.

The ceremony followed shortly after. It was a beautiful occasion, the royal castle open to all that wished to bare witness. There was fine wine, extraordinary gowns, and a generally pleasant atmosphere. But all was not well. Unnoticed by the loyal citizens, the entire affair focused much more of the life of the late queen than the bride. The bride was once again out-shined even by the princess. The citizens had not been impressed. The new queen was attractive, perhaps even beautiful, but she stood little hope against the prior queen. She had been giddy after the ceremony- smiling, laughing...unnoticed. After all, how could she _possibly_ compare? From the toasts to the conversations, everything appeared to be a memorial to the deceased queen. By the end of the night, the bride felt deflated and ignored. _Her _big day had been taken away from her. It didn't seem to be hers at all.

Years went by, the king aging quickly and the queen becoming increasingly cold to the kingdom. The princess was kept close to the castle, out of the commoners reach. The towns were no longer flourishing, the standard of living slowly decreasing. Life was barren, no news from the royal family escaping.

Then, at long last, a message. The message spread throughout the kingdom was not of improvement or promises as it had been years before, but instead terrible news. The king had died, his wife taking his place as ruler. The kingdom, despite its own state of decay, mourned for their lost king. Some wrote letters of condolences, hoping beyond reason that their sincerest apologies would reach the queen and, more importantly, the princess. Others would conjure up what minute magic they could and attempted age-old spells in hope of prosperity for not only their kingdom, but particularly their royal family.

Mourning could not last long, though, as there soon arose new problems that hadn't been anticipated by the villagers. First, came word of a new royal decree. The queens men had gone to every village, summoning all villagers to hear them read the queens first changes. 'All forests untouched by her majesties markers themselves shall be ruled the queens-wood. Trespassing is prohibited. All travel routes unmarked on the issued maps are to be used by the queens men, only. Trespassing is prohibited. Trespassing, hunting, placement -both voluntary and involuntary- is prohibited. All prohibited acts thusly stated are in accordance to the queens law. Engaging in these acts would be punishable under the queens law as treason. Treason, as stated, is punishable by the queens ruling of death to all those whom are deemed guilty.'

Unwilling to challenge to queen and to seem ungracious to her protection, the citizens followed the new laws. The ruling had cut off many villages from the outside world completely, however. With no trade and no ways to improve conditions, many villagers died throughout the first winter. In spring, conditions improved if only slightly and death by starvation nearly disappeared. That summer, the queens men returned. The queen herself had issued a tax raise as she declared the protection of her people increasingly difficult. Conditions once again became intolerable, villagers without coins giving, in some cases, the last of their food to the tax collectors as payment. Life wasn't just unfavorable, life was once again impossible. In a desperate attempt at survival, villagers began to go in the forbidden woods in search of food. Some returned with enough food to feed their family, others never returned at all.

For years, life in the once prosperous kingdom was a fight for survival. The population had plummeted from what it once had been- those alive were often left hungry or diseased from the plagues that rapidly spread throughout the villages.

One day, however, everything changed. With the help of a bitter princess and her true love, the people rose up and were able to beat the evil queen and her dark army. The princess and her prince were able to take control of the kingdom, beginning to return the land to the great kingdom her parents has fought so hard to build. The days seemed longer- light shining in on the once dark kingdom. The great drought ended, the animals returning to graze upon the land. The prince and the princess were happy, as well. Engaged to be married, the couple had proved that true love could conquer even the darkest of magic.

Darkness no longer clouded the kingdom.

It was looming.

The wedding had started off like no other- a merrier occasion than any other the land had ever possessed. The prince and princess were about to exchange their vows when the unthinkable happened. The queen, the _only _uninvited guest in the entire kingdom, stalked in to the castle with a dark violet cloud following her. She laughed at the two, mocking the entire kingdom. She warned of the impending doom they all would face. They all had made her suffer, she explained. So she would do the same to them. She laughed to herself, at some seemingly secret joke. All she could do was laugh and shake her head, her last words before she left leaving an uneasy sensation in the room. "I'll make you wish you could remember me!" She had laughed, throwing her head back as she continued, "After I'm done, you'll _know_ that I'm the fairest of them all."

The ceremony was ended just after the royalty had wed. An event that had once seemed so joyous ended quickly, a warning to stay calm issued to those present. The night seemed silent, even the animals seeming hiding. Everybody felt a change, but they knew not of what it was.

Midnight approached quickly, the next day to never come. The curse had worked- a dark cloud of magic blanketing the land as most were sleeping. When they awoke, nothing was the same.

Panem, Maine was a charming small town in central Maine. It was comprised of little more than small shops and an only slightly larger population. It was a charming place- entirely residential. It was rather self-sustaining with very little tourism. Actually, it had _no_ tourism. How could it? Panem was little more than a cursed town where time was frozen, nothing ever developing. Its residents were perpetually unknowing, their whole past unknown to them. Their entire lives were a lie- a part of a curse that allowed for no progression.

Panem was about to change, however. The icy binds of the curse were melting.

* * *

**Okay, so I realize that this whole idea is probably overly odd. It's based slightly on the T.V. show Once Upon a Time, based on unique interpretations of Grimm's Fairy Tales. Other than the general idea, however, it's completely different. Instead of using the somewhat traditional Grimm's Fairy Tale characters, I'm using Hunger Games characters versions of them. Pairings will be rather obvious in some cases, although I had a bit of fun with others.**

** This chapter was rather just one, large, summary of the story. I will be going back and forth between 'once upon a time' and present day tenses, not particularly in order, but I hope this falls together decently. c:**


	2. Chapter 2

**Once Upon a Time . . .**

The land was untouchable- the limbs of every last tree marked protected by the queen herself. No trespassing would be forgiven, no traveling save the occasional passage made by the queens men. The rarity of the occasion made it acceptable, if not even expected, for the conditions to be unfavorable at best.

The Prince had been expecting such conditions as he traveled to the foreign kingdom. A welcome visitor with an invitation- even granted a royally appointed guide chosen by the queen herself -, yet the rarity of the situation was not lost on the man. No one- not even the princes father- had been allowed access to the great kingdom in many years. Not since the Kings first wife had passed. The Prince was grateful for such an outstanding opportunity. His fiancee, however, had different views.

The woman sat sullenly, staring out the window of the carriage. It wasn't such a beautiful sight as the Prince had drone on about. The very thought made her scoff in disgust. He had insisted on taking what he had referred to as the _scenic_ route. She couldn't understand why. What, exactly, had it brought for the pair? An elongated, bumpy, ride on a perpetual dirty road in the middle of absolute nowhere? What was even the purpose, she pouted. So they could stay at a dark, enchanted castle that nobody would dare travel to in their worst nightmares- for nothing more than the shear hope of diplomacy with a decaying kingdom?

And the look- the mere sight- of the shifty-eyed guide who sat next to her betrothed was enough to make the woman want to scream in frustration. Her eyes darted to the man, watching with bated breath as he shifted in his seat, his eyes traveling slowly from one window of the modest carriage to the opposite side- then back-however slowly- to the window he was seated near. The sight was infuriating, accomplishing nothing but adding to her frustration. As she watched his eyes begin to travel once more, she knew she had witnessed enough. "So?" She asked bluntly, watching as two distinct sets of eyes met her own. She waited, only to be met with no words- just the monotonous creaking of the wooden carriage as they traveled through the rough terrain. The woman rolled her green eyes as she realized that silence was the only response that she was going to receive. She decided to rephrase, her attention now focused entirely on the guide. "Are we nearing our destination?"

The guide looked startled at the sudden question. He looked to the prince, swallowing forcefully when he realized the mans gaze was now also on himself. The guide paused, looking past the Prince's fiancee. The road was dark, the trees seeming to all blend in as one. He looked back to the woman regretfully. What was he to sat, exactly? What could he tell her? That he didn't know? The Queen would have had him killed for such an act of ignorance, that he knew. He breathed, staring at the woman with empty eyes, attempting to formulate a reasonable response. He wasn't allowed the chance, however, before he heard another voice answer the question so clearly intended for him.

The Prince looked from the guide, then back to his fiancee. "I'm sure we're nearing the end of our journey." The woman looked at the Prince with questioning eyes, as if she didn't believe him. The distraction was, however, helpful in granting the guide enough time to formulate a response.

"Of course we are, miss." He nodded. The woman looked skeptically from the Prince to the royal guide, staring at the latter man for a moment before her eyes darted out the window to her side once more.

"Very well," She accepted.

The silence lasted only moments before the guide spoke once more, this time with heightened volume. "Watch out!" He shouted the words with wide eyes, arms outstretched as to grab the very reigns himself. The carriage stopped abruptly.

The Prince looked at the guide curiously, then forward to search for a visible clue to his words. He saw nothing. "What is it?" The man asked the guide.

"A roadblock, Prince Peter. I saw it," The guide murmured, his eyes traveling from the Prince to his fiancee, then back to the prince once more.

Prince Peter looked skeptically at the man before nodding. "I'll go." He looked to the pouting woman who sat the side opposite of himself. "I shall return, quickly, so we can continue our journey." He promised before stepping out of the carriage. He froze as he felt a calloused hand grab his shoulder. The Prince quickly turned around, relaxing when he saw that it was only the guide.

The guide looked disoriented, perhaps even frightened as he spoke. "With all due respect, your highness, I would feel deeply obliged to investigate with you."

The thought made the Prince smile fondly, nodding. "Alright." The guide looked confused at the agreement and ease, but nevertheless walked around the carriage side-by-side with the Prince. Prince Peter was the first of the two men to round the front of the carriage, and the sight made him bite his lip to ward off a good-natured laugh. He just smiled and turned around, "It's just a tree!" He shouted to his impatient fiancee. After hearing an exaggerated huff from inside the carriage, Peter smiled and walked to the tree. A guard was already beginning to prop it up in order to dispose of the lumber, the guide assisting him, as Peter examined the end of the tree. As he began to lift the end, he fumbled and lost his grip. Curious, Peter knelt down to look at the very end. Raising his hand, he brushed his fingertips against the smooth surface. It was a clean break, he realized. Too clean.

As he realized what it had meant, Peter jumped away from the tree and looked at the other men. "It didn't fall, it's been cut!" The men stared for a minute before he explained quickly, running for the carriage. "It's an ambush!" As he rounded the carriage, he heard a loud feminine yelp from the carriage. He had came too late, it had seemed, as he saw a dark figure dart out of the carriage and run to a foreign white horse. Peter ran to the door, "Are you well?" He frantically asked his frightened fiancee.

The woman took a moment to answer, stuttering as she did so. "Yes." She forced a breath. "It just...It took the pouch." She forced.

Peter's eyes widened at the statement, nodding before running to a guard's horse. He nearly leap on the horse before kicking it in the direction of the thief. The horse ran, increasing steadily in speed as Peter's eyes narrowed on the white horse. Thee two raced for what seemed to be hours- though undoubtedly minutes- until the guards stead finally won. Riding parallel with the thief, Peter took a deep breathe before flinging himself off of his horse and on to the thief. The force created sent the thief flying of their horse, tumbling down the shallow hill with the Prince. As the land leveled out, Peter flipped the thief on to it's back. "Show me your face, coward!" He demanded, tearing the hood violently to the side.

The sight he was met with was not even somewhat close to what he had imagined. The thief was no ordinary thief. She had olive-toned skin that, despite its hue, seemed almost pale against her flowing black hair. Her features were subtle, looking at him almost blankly with her large gray eyes. The thief was a woman- a _beautiful_ woman, at that. The sight made Peter freeze."You're a girl?" He asked incredulously.

The thief took refuge in the welcome moment of weakness. "Woman." She amended, mustering as much power as she could to force her knee powerfully in to his groin. The Prince gasped in pain, losing his concentration. The thief smirked, pushing the man off of her and bouncing to her feet. She grabbed the mans sword, carrying it with loose grip until she had neared the road. Still, she stayed and watched him until he regained his composure. When she saw his blue eyes meet her own, she smirked in a near childlike manner. She calculatedly opened up the pouch, watch his reaction. "Now, what do we have here?" She taunted. "This doesn't look very much like the queen's. And you...well, you don't look much like her, either."

"That pouch belongs to the royal court. The en-crested " He stopped, watching as she pulled out an emerald ring. She examined it delicately before looking at him- watching him as he stood up.

"What's this?" She asked, tilting her head.

"Mine." Was the simple answer he gave, walking calculatedly towards her.

"An engagement ring, perhaps?" She asked, grinning as she saw the Prince's facial expression change. "Oh no, don't tell me." She began to laugh. "Not to that hag in the carriage, please." At his silence, she laughed harder. "To _her_? Foxface?" She asked.

"Mind you words. _Foxface,"_ He began before realizing his error, "Megan," He amended. "Is my fiancee."

He hadn't expected the woman to smile in an almost sarcastic manner at his words, "Good luck with that, Charming."

As he began another stealthy step, Peter paused. "I have a name," He said proudly.

"I don't care." The woman shrugged her shoulders. "I prefer Charming." As he neared her, she smiled and took another step backwards. As she set foot on the dirt road, the two heard a familiar rustling of hooves. "It sounds like Charming's cavalry awaits." With that, she began to sprint to the nearest horse. Peter followed as quickly as he could manage, but she was much closer to the horses then he had been. He was left frozen, staring at her as she road quickly away. Peter picked up his sword regretfully, wondering what had gotten in to him.

"I _will_ find you!" He warned. The woman turned her head, looking at him blankly for a moment before looking ahead. "I'll find you." He whispered, watching as she rode away.

* * *

**Panem, Maine . . .**

At twenty seven years old, Katniss Everdeen was living the life she knew she was meant to lead. A devoted teacher, the woman had taught music at Panem Elementary for...well, as long as anyone could remember. Quite the talented musician herself, Katniss enjoyed the time she spent with her students- watching them develop outside of the classroom while assisting them to realize their true potential in the arts.

Though she kept mostly to herself, allowing for few friends, the friends that she had were all true. Yet, though her life seemed perfect, it was her time alone that she couldn't help but to feel as if something was missing. As if there was a numbness that she couldn't shake- a level of happiness that she would never, no matter the circumstances, be able to achieve. As time passed by, Katniss felt the void slowly spreading. Although her memory was a bit hazy at best, causing her to at times forget the very thoughts that fueled her loneliness, the feeling always seemed to return with vengeance. The feeling had led Katniss to try many things over the past years.

Hiking through the towns vasts forests had fulfilled the emptiness at first. There was something about the ways the trees seemed to all blend in as one that called to Katniss. The forests seemed so familiar, yet so similarly eerie. Little time had come to pass before the excursions were no longer satisfying enough to fulfill her desperate need for something to make sense. For a short while after, Katniss had began to explore Panem's nightlife. It had turned out to be extremely limited, the only place that served alcohol without the expectations of an individual attending while nearly naked was Grannie's Diner. When she began to attend during the night, she met what seemed to be the only person she had never - not even once- seen before around town. Haymitch Abernathy was the town drunk- the only thing he was better at than taking a shot was throwing a dart at the deer-themed board. He seemed to hit a bullseye each and every time, as if the alcoholic had managed to magnetize the darts or something of the like.

Though Haymitch's company was arguably better than that of no one, the satisfaction once again began to wear down until she was left with little more happiness than she received from her students. The desperation led her to what was, for her at least, a new sort of low in life.

Seneca Crane was an incredibly talented physician. The man seemed to have steadier hands than all others in Panem Hospital. His mind was quick, his focus sharp. Seneca possessed the confidence no other physician could muster- arguably more than any man in the entire town. The confidence may have been natural or, as others had gossiped, it was the clearest form of over compensation to be seen. Despite his professional reputation, Doctor Crane was not the respected medical professional that perhaps he should have been. His focus was a little _too_ sharp, in some cases. When he wasn't working atrocious shifts at the hospital, the doctor could always be found trying to flirt with what was usually a much younger woman. Sometimes he found interest in the nuns, other times he would be found glued to giggling high school girls who's legality could be debated for hours. His favorite obsession, unlike his ever changing preferences, always seemed to be Annie Cresta.

Katniss was quite aware of Seneca's ways. It was their second date at Grannie's and, it had seemed, his eyes were elsewhere. Every time Katniss would speak, she had watched his eyes drift away from hers and lock on something elsewhere. And, predictably every time she would stop to look at what had captured his attention, she would spot the waitress innocently bent over to pick up plates off of a table or speaking contently to a customer. Katniss shifted uneasily in her seat, the words she had been speaking slowly trailing to an uncomfortable silence.

The sound- or, rather, lack of- seemed to be enough to grab Seneca's attention. He looked at Katniss once more, clearing his throat. "You were saying...?" He asked, a brow raised.

"I said..." Katniss began before shaking her head. She paused, waiting until she saw Annie walk past the table with another table's order. "Annie," She called. The girl looked to Katniss, an almost childlike expression on her face. "Could we get our check, please?"

"Sure thing," Annie smiled with a short nod before walking over to the next table over.

Annie soon returned with the check, setting it on the table. Seneca seemed frozen, a sort of contemplating expression on his face as the girl stood by the table. "So how are the kids, Katniss?" Annie asked, a soft smile on her face.

The words seemed to capture the doctors attention as he looked pointedly at Katniss. "You have kids?" He asked.

Katniss, despite her best efforts, couldn't help but to roll her eyes at her dates question. It was their second date and just now he was asking if she had children? In fact, despite a few statements of which the general idea seemed to revolve around either 'you're eating _that_," or "do you realize how much _cholesterol_ that food must contain," Katniss couldn't help but to think that his question regarding children was the first decent question he had asked her. The most pathetic part being that she had spent nearly ten minutes discussing how one of her classes was going on a field trip to the hospital the following day as a sort of way to lighten up the hospital's grim mood. Still, despite her silence, Seneca's eyes still bore in to her. "No." She finally huffed before looking back to Annie. "They're great, thanks. How is Mags doing, by the way?" She asked, tilting her head.

The mention of Mags brought a bright smile to Annie's face. "Oh, Grannie's doing great! Her speech is getting better every day, I swear. Watch, she'll be telling me to keep up again in no time." Annie giggled at the thought, making Katniss smile for the first time during the night.

"I'm sure she will," Katniss nodded. Mags had a stroke years ago, hindering many of her daily activities. Though Katniss couldn't exactly remember specific encounters with the woman, she knew that Mags was a fiery woman. Everybody knew of the woman's willpower, even if they only saw her come in to her diner for brief moments. The two were quiet for a moment before Katniss looked down. She pulled out enough money to cover the joint bill and set it on the table. "Well, I should be going." Katniss began to Annie, Seneca seemingly disoriented and disengaged in the conversation. Annie nodded, watching as Katniss stood up. "Tell Mags I said 'hi'?" She inquired.

Annie nodded frantically at the question. "Of course!" She agreed. Katniss smiled softly before looking at the clock. It was nearly midnight, she noticed vaguely. A Friday night, but she had an early morning to prepare for nevertheless. Katniss draped her black coat absently over her shoulders before walking out of the diner.

The cold air hit Katniss' face like a violent reminder of the time. Or that she lived in the Northern state of Maine. She suspected that both were the causes, though the latter the clear instigator. Katniss paused as she prepared herself to adjust to the coldness. The task was impossible, she knew, but it didn't mean that she didn't constantly try. After a chilled moment, however, Katniss was more than ready to move along. Her apartment wasn't very far from Grannie's, but she knew from experience that the walk would still be horrifying.

Katniss set a brisk pace, her eyes narrowed at the ground as she made her way down the side walk. The path was more than familiar- it was so predictable that, on the very latest nights- she could easily imagine herself following her own footprints home. On the rare night that alcohol was involved, she could even imagine the footprints as beautiful shades of neon in color.

Katniss was about to cross the barren street when a loud noise stopped her. It was a loud noise- almost as if a whistle was being blown and then projected throughout the area. Katniss was about to look up towards the sky -where the noise seemed to be evolving from- when an entirely different sound caught her attention. She turned, searching for what she _knew _had to be the cause of the second sound. Katniss' eyes widened as she looked at the large clock. It had been frozen, for as long as anybody could remember, at eleven fifty-nine. She watched incredulously almost not believing her senses, as she observed both hands clearly on the twelve as it continued to ring for the first time in her memory.

* * *

**Okay, so just to make it clear- there will be many pairings in this story. I will, however, focus on some more than others. The main story will probably focus more on Cato and Clove, Katniss and Peeta, and Annie and Finnick than any others. Particularly the first two pairings. That being stated, I _will _be focusing on different pairings at different times- mostly to bring other characters in to the story and tie them all together. **

**Also, I know with some characters it will probably be ridiculously apparent regarding which fairy tale character I'm creating them in to. I won't, however, come right out and say in the 'Panem, Maine' timeframe who is which fairy tale character for quite a few more chapters. I would, however, _love_ to read any guesses!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Panem, Maine . . .**

The state of Maine could be a difficult area to navigate, even for the most seasoned visitors. Mobile service was often out of range- seemingly only available in the utmost populated regions. The frigid conditions often left all city personnel so occupied that snow-covered highways were completely forgotten. With such extreme conditions, it wasn't exactly the most ideal place for a road trip in the winter.

Clove and Primrose Fuhrman had never been a practical pair. Fraternal twins, the girls couldn't be more different. Primrose was a kind girl with a warm heart. She was sweet- she had never wished harm on a single living creature during her entire lifetime. Despite her young adulthood, there was a light air of innocence that hung around the girl. She befriended nearly everyone she had every met immediately. As for Clove; not quite so much. Sarcastic and cunning, Clove was a fighter in every sense of the word. She was protective, sometimes cold- vaguely selfish. The only person she could put above herself was her sister whom with the love she shared knew no bounds.

Even physically- besides their age and perhaps their stature, the two couldn't be more different. Primrose was of moderate height- standing at 5'6. She was thin with clear pale skin, blonde hair that nearly matched the intensity of the suns, and clear blue eyes. Clove was short, often mistaken for being much younger than she was. She stood at 5'1, her figure seemingly average. Clove's hair was black- a crisp negative of her sister's- and her skin was pale, making for a shocking contrast. Her eyes burned a dark green hue, freckles splashed haphazardly across her face.

Regardless of the shocking differences, the two had never left each-others side. As children in the custody of foster care, they were often forced to part ways in order to find more favorable residences. After a while, however, -even back then- the two finally chose to stay together whenever possible and face even the worst families. As long as they were together, everything seemed to turn out alright. When they turned eighteen, nothing had changed. They were together- never seeming to stay in one place for too long before moving along to the next town. It was alright, though, because all they ever seemed to need was each other. Even Primrose- the girl who everyone seemed to adore- even she didn't care to stay. They had their own reasons, and that was that.

Driving to the unknown wasn't exactly an unfamiliar experience for the girls. After a short six-month stay in Austin, Texas, the two girls were ready for a change in scenery. It had only been weeks before that they had decided on Maine. Where? They couldn't be sure- Maybe Buxton, or perhaps Portland. After all, Prim _did_ always have an intense love for the sea. Maybe a shore where she could walk and not wake up with painful blisters the next morning would be a suitable change for the fair skinned girl.

Regardless of the familiarity with long distance road-trips, Clove still couldn't help but cringe as she drove down the icy roads of central Maine. Regardless of its age, Clove had a specific soft spot for her trusted '86 Charger. She couldn't help but think, as she watched the roads closely, that the car was going through Hell. With Higher Ground by the Red Hot Chili Peppers blaring at a nearly painful volume in the car, the thoughts were short lived. Prim, in the passenger seat, was singing along to the familiar lyrics. Her head was thrashing around to the beat, her smiling face meeting Clove's with every chorus. Clove was singing along as well, beating her fingers to the steering wheel in attempt to match the fast-paced rhythm.

Prim's singing stopped abruptly when she saw a foreign sign to her right. She moved quickly, turning down the volume. Clove's singing came to a gradual halt as she looked to her sister quizzically, then back at the road. "What was that for?" Clove asked, her brows raised.

"We're entering a town...It's late- I don't want to wake anyone-"

"There was no town on Mapquest." Clove interrupted.

"No, I swear! It said, 'Welcome to Panem'. " Prim insisted.

Clove chuckled, "Whatever you-" Her sarcastic response was interrupted by a loud noise. It occurred again, then again...On the fourth ring, Clove was able to recognize it as either a clock or church bell. Clove reached in her pocket, pulling out her phone. She pressed the power button, tilting her head when she read the time as midnight. She looked over to Prim hesitantly, only to be met by her smiling sister's face.

"Told you," Prim reminded her softly.

"Uh-huh," Clove muttered before letting out a prolonged sigh.

"Hey, you know what?" Clove looked to her sister. "We should stop and get gas while...you know, we're in civilization."

The suggestion made Clove laugh, though she didn't respond as they began to pass scarceness spread houses. It wasn't even a mile before Clove slowed, noticing that they were driving on to the main street, shops and such lining the road. The place was quiet, no noises loud enough to be heard within the quiet car. There was no movement, either. All of the lights seemed to be shut off save the dim street lights. The buildings were average- seemingly well kept and cared for, though they all seemed incredibly aged. "So," Clove looked to Prim, "Any ideas?"

Prim looked thoughtfully- silently. She didn't admit defeat, however, as she watched. Once she saw bright, albeit flickering, lights, her face lit up. Prim squealed pointing her to left, "Up there! What's that?" She asked, a smile on her face.

Clove raised her brows, fighting to suppress a groan once she was able to make out the building her sister was referring to. _Of course, _She thought, defeated. Such was Prim's luck- it always seemed to happen that way. Her pouting was short lived, however, once they neared the building. The windows were cluttered with advertisements, a large 'Open' sign illuminating the side of the building. Looking even further up as she slowed the car, she made out the word 'Fitness'. Clove looked at Prim with accusing eyes. "It's a gym!"

Prim's optimistic never wavered. "Yeah, but come on! If they have a twenty-four hour gym, then they're obviously going to have a gas station! You could ask for directions!"

"_I_ could?!" Clove asked incredulously.

Prim raised her hands defensively, "Hey, I don't know a thing about gyms! You're the one who went to that one place back in Chicago,"

"That was two years ago!" Clove argued, though she knew it was useless. Already anticipating where the argument was heading, she begrudgingly pulled the car over. She switched it in to park before looking to her sister. "I'll have you know, you owe me. And when we stop, I'm eating beef jerky in the car and you can't say _shit_ about it." She huffed, now muttering.

Prim giggled, "Love you too."

Clove pressed her lips together before opening the door. "What town has a fucking gym . . . doesn't have a fucking gas station?" She groaned, leaving a giggling Prim alone in the car. The cold air hit Clove like a violent slap, making her shiver immediately. She was wearing black shorts and a gray V-neck- nothing to protect against the freezing winter night. She narrowed her eyes as she walked carefully across the street, making sure not to step on ice. That would be all she needed.

It didn't take her long to make her way to the glass door. She opened it, happily surprised by the warmth the building offered. She walked to the other side of the hallway, opening a heavy door that obviously led to the actual gym. Unlike the surroundings, Clove was surprised to be met by a sense of familiarity once she entered. The very first thing she noticed was the music playing. She immediately- regretfully- recognized the music blaring. Rock Your Body by Justin Timberlake. She rolled her eyes at the thought- could the music selection become any shittier- or even out of date for the pop genre?

The room smelled strongly of tangerines- probably some sort of disinfectant- she reasoned. The room was full of exercise equipment- surprisingly up-to-date in an incredibly out of date town. As her eyes roamed the area- she noticed one thing was missing. The place was empty. Not in a tradition midnight sense that she was used to, but rather.. there was no one. Not some bubbly brunette as usual, not some guy going all try-hard on the equipment- it seemed as if she was the only person in the building. "Hello?" Clove called, her voice falsely positive. It didn't matter, though. Even Clove couldn't hear herself over to incessant booming that the music created. "Hello!" She tried to scream once more, her voice lost in the noise once more. Clove huffed, looking out the small glass opening of the door to her car. Prim was still smiling, looking in her direction. Clove groaned- she wasn't in the mood for this, but she felt obliged. She always did when he pertained to Prim.

"Great," Clove muttered, once more unable to hear the noise. Still, it made her feel better. She walked forward, looking to the front desk. It, too, was empty. Clove raised a brow, uncertain as to why someone would leave it unattended. She paused, looking around the back until she saw a door cracked open ever so slightly. As the light seemed to be fluidly within the room, she assumed whoever was working was in the room. She neared the door, tempted to knock. She rolled her eyes at the thought after a moment- the person couldn't hear her scream. As if they would hear a knock. It was with that she decided, despite the irrational fear that Prim would find out and chastise her for her unfriendly ways, to just barge right in. She wasn't quite prepared for what she saw.

Clove had never been shy, but in that moment even she wished that she could shield her eyes. She couldn't even be sure how to describe it. There was a woman of what appeared to be in her lower thirties on the desk. She had pants on- thank _God_- but her shirt was stripped off- left to her bra. Her skin was tan, her hair blonde. She seemed to be laughing or groaning- Clove didn't want to know. In front of the woman stood a blonde man- his back was turned to her, so she couldn't see his face. She wouldn't have been looking, anyways. Shamefully, Clove felt her eyes practically glued to his back. He seemed to have taken _full_ advantage to the gym, his muscles clear and pronounced as he kissed the woman's throat. He was tall, too. Even from a distance, Clove knew that saying he was a full foot taller than her would be an understatement.

Clove suddenly felt frozen- what was she to do? She couldn't go tap on the guys shoulder... but she couldn't go back to Prim empty-handed, either. In a quick decision, Clove did what she always did. She chose the option that didn't include letting her sister down. Luckily, she didn't have to get that far. As she began to near the excited couple, the woman's eyes met hers. Clove froze once more, their eyes locked. Clove didn't feel mortified, as perhaps she should have been during the situation. The woman's expression, however, told an entirely different story.

* * *

**Okay, so I decided not to add a story from the past tense for this chapter. I did it for a reason, though- hopefully it becomes obvious during the next chapter.**


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